Shattered
by redphoenix198
Summary: A/U: Rachel and Lucy meet at the 'Glee House' run by Will Schuester; although, their roads part and Rachel finds her rightful place in New York. What happens when the past claims her back? Where do they go from there? Starts with Samchel, but Faberry/Rucy as the main couple along with Brittana and Fuinn/Finchel friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**SHATTERED**

**Rating: **M (for sexual references / strong language / mentions of violence)

**Genre**: Romance / Drama

**Summary:** Rachel and Lucy had met at a young age, being together in the Foster Care House managed by Will Schuester; when she was adopted by the Hiram and Leroy Berry, though, she cut any ties with her past. What happens when the past comes to claim her back? A/U

**Pairing:** Samchel / Faberry (Rucy) / Brittana / Fuinn & Finchel (both Friendship)

**A/N:** since 'The Mess I Made' is almost done, had this desire to write some Rucy/Faberry as development since young age. Flashbacks are in Italics.

**Enjoy and Review! :D **

CHAPTER 1

Life was unpredictable.

Rachel Berry had experimented that herself when she was just a 8-years old kid who was put in a foster care, after her mother had overdosed of heroine in a dirty alley in Columbus. Shelby had been her whole world, the star of her solar system and the only source of affection and love she could count on, despite the rollercoaster provided by drug addiction. One night she was being watched by their neighbor, singing alone to a hairbrush waiting for her mommy to come back and the other day, instead, all of her bags were packed and she was handled to Child Services who would have taken care of her 'case'. From that moment on, Rachel became a number on a folder, waited to be shipped in the nearest place that would have taken them the less effort. She knew that being an orphan wasn't an ideal situation; her mother had confessed her all the bad things she had gone through when she had been placed in one of those houses, until she had mustered the courage to run away.

Being assigned to Will Schuester's 'Glee House' was nothing close to what she had feared so strongly, the environment was warm and her new foster parent looked nice enough to really care for the kids whom he had welcomed there. She spent part of her childhood there and some of her fondest memories were related to the time she had shared with the other kids and with _her_. Then the adoption happened and she was taken under the gentle and loving care of a couple of men, Hiram and Leroy Berry, who had always wanted to share their love with someone else who would be able to carry their legacy and, hopefully, bring more joy into their household. They loved her since the first moment they had seen her, playing in the backyard with the other kids of the foster house while Will described her peculiar situation. Following her childhood dreams and, mostly, making them come true had been hugely due thanks to the Berry's, who had supported and helped her through the long way to become a Broadway star.

"Good morning, babe. Did you sleep well?" Samuel Evans looked handsome in his red and blue checkered shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, light ripped jeans and with no shoes nor socks on. His hair was still slightly damp from the early shower he had taken advantage of, while she slept in for the first day in months; his smile was always so warm and comforting that she still wondered how she had gotten so lucky.

"I feel restored, but I'll definitely feel better after a cup of coffee or two." Rachel walked around the kitchen counter and headed straight to the coffee machine, relishing in the sound of the coffee filling the carafe and its smell filling the room. "Nothing is better than coffee to wake yourself up." She reached on her tiptoes to grab her favorite mug, when a pair of strong arms circled her waist from behind and lips trailed up her neck, left exposed by the loose t-shirt she was wearing. "Maybe there's something better, after all." Tilting her head to the side, her hands covered her 2-years boyfriend's larger ones that were slowly trailing down her front, to slip under the hem of her shirt and find the bare skin of her stomach.

"It's a shame I have to be at the recording studio soon or I'd take advantage of your morning off to get you back in bed, but not to sleep." The taller blonde spun her gently around, pinning her against the counter behind them as his hands were now lingering above the curve of her perfect and toned backside. "You look very hot in the morning, have I ever told you that?" Leaning down, he brushed his slightly large lips over her natural pouty bottom lip, hearing her soft gasp that made his heart flutter.

"I am afraid not, Mr. Evans, but you could make it a habit of telling me more often from now on." Her lips curled up in a soft smirk, smaller fingers slipped through her boyfriend's shorter blonde hair and tugged his face closer, finally joining their lips for their first morning kiss. His body pressed against her front, pinning her more into the marble counter behind her back and his scent filled her nostrils, replacing the coffee's smell that had probably been ready in a while by now. Lips moved slowly and hands grazed without fully touching, letting their small game of seduction replace any more sexual one which could have waited till later, when they both had time at their disposal.

"I'll make sure to show you, plenty, later tonight after a nice dinner at Alfredo's, what do you say?" He whispered against her lips and kissed away her squeal of happiness, before twirling her around and sitting her on the opposite kitchen counter. "I love you, little star." Using that nickname made Rachel snap out of her romantic moment with her boyfriend, bringing back memories of another soft voice whispering those same words in her ear at night.

"Me too, Sam." Pulling back from his lips, she kissed his cheeks and forehead softly before patting his shoulders and hopping off the counter. "Don't want to make you late and hear a long rant from your agent, so out of my kitchen dude." She chuckled lightly, faking a perfect smile thanks to her glorious acting skills and the last two years of verbal abuse in High School; as soon as he walked back upstairs to the bedroom zone, she let her smile drop in a frown and her eyes linger on the small inscription on her wrist where a black bold L and Q were still in full sight.

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(Age 8)

_The loss of a parent was never an easy thing to deal with, but the very young age and the lack of any other familiar support aggravated Rachel's situation; the small brunette felt nothing but at loss and alone in this big bad world, that had taken her mother away from her. She knew Shelby had severe issues, that's why she disappeared for most of the day or sometimes came home without even realizing her daughter was there, waiting for her mommy to take care of her. For being such a young child, she had learnt the basics of a responsible life whenever she was due home alone, 'cause Shelby had spent all of her money for her addictions (alcohol and drugs both); but nothing could have ever prepared her to deal with the loneliness of being an orphan. _

_When she was led inside the 'Glee House', she was suddenly wrapped in a sense of warmth that she had never felt at home, except for those rare times Shelby stood up to take her mother's role and attended to her young daughter's needs. The woman in charge of her case walked her to a big living room, where a tall man, clad in a vest and with too much gel in his hair, welcomed them with a bright smile and gentle eyes. Lowering himself on his knees, he looked up into Rachel's big brown eyes and softened his smile, not wanting to scare the small girl off with an overwhelming attitude. _

"_Welcome to the Glee House, Rachel. As you may know, you'll be staying here with us for a while but I am sure the other kids will help you integrate yourself here." Reaching forward, Will squeezed her hand gently before getting back on his feet to face the officer and take care of the bureaucracy that came along with the small brunette. "Why don't you join everyone in the backyard, they are gathered there. You can go through that door over there." He pointed to a red wooden door that was probably situated in the spacious kitchen area, Rachel could only nod and held tightly on her small backpack as she navigated through the house. _

_As soon as she walked through the threshold, she was met by the loud voices of kids of different ages that played around, chasing each other or a ball, hanging from the monkey bars or just challenging each other on the swings. It was like a huge playground, where she had often begged her mother to take her to but always turned out to be unsuccessful. Rachel held onto her bag a little tighter, suddenly overwhelmed by so many kids that she had never grown accustomed to deal with; she had counted three girls and four boys so far, but maybe there were other ones who were roaming around the house or playing somewhere else. _

"_Hey, you must be new around here. Lemme take a look to that bag of yours!" A taller and bulkier child with a mohawk approached the observing girl, who took a step back and tried to hold onto her precious belonging she had been given for her last birthday. "C'mon girl, give it up!" He shoved her back and proceeded to take the bag away from her, when a taller brunette guy and a brown haired girl came to her rescue. _

"_Puck, stop being such a bully and leave her alone." The tall guy shoved the shorter guy back and away from the cowering Rachel, who sat on the porch's floor holding onto the backpack. "She is new, can't you stop being a jackass for a minute here?"_

"_Or what, Finn? You'll slap me with your fatty hands or maybe ask your girlfriend there to do it for you, since she keeps bossing you around." Puck snickered at the other brunette, who lingered around Rachel and stood protectively in front of her. "Speechless Lucy C? Have fatty cells already damaged your brain? No wonder no one wants to adopt your stupid ass."_

"_I told you to stop!" Finn's arm swung back and a hard fist landed on the other boy's jaw, sending him sprawled on the ground with a bloody lip and a bruise on his face. "I told you to stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!" The brunette guy kneeled on the floor and started rocking back and forth, chanting the words to himself before warm arms enveloped his upper body and a soft kiss was pressed on his forehead. "I told him to stop."_

"_I know Finn, you were so brave." Lucy kept holding the taller guy's head to her neck, rubbing the back of his neck with her smaller hand and gently whispering in his ear, trying to calm him down and make him recover from one of his attacks. "I am sorry that your welcome didn't match your expectations, I am Lucy." The brunette haired girl with glasses smiled politely at Rachel, who felt confident enough to walk closer to the pairing and look down at Finn with concern. "He will be fine, he is a courageous young boy." _

"_He is and so are you." She whispered the last part with admiration, eyes shifting between the smaller brunette who still managed to comfort the tall boy, with such dedication and compassion that moved her small heart. She had barely stepped in the foster home and already felt a weird connection with the lighter brunette, who was taking care of her friend. _

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One of the best things about New York was the freedom of slipping in an anonymous coffee shop, finding a comfortable booth and just enjoying the life of an observer whilst sipping your favorite beverage with no other care in the world. Rachel found herself in one of her favorite places, where she was pretty sure the workers wouldn't call for paparazzi to assault her and violate her privacy nor she'd be overwhelmed by hordes of fans asking for autographs. It was just her, a cup of soy milk caramel macchiato and her favorite childhood book, whose cover was as worn out as the red leaves falling from trees in autumn. She wasn't really reading through the pages she knew by heart, too lost in the memories of her childhood and that special someone whose name was engraved on her wrist and, mostly, on her heart. Time slipped away as she thought about Lucy and the other kids of the house, wondering what they were up to and if they still remembered her; she was pretty sure some of them still held a grudge for having found happiness somewhere else, leaving that piece of her life behind. But keeping that bridge would have caused her more hurt and would have tied her down to Lima and Ohio, cutting any other chance of making it out of there and pursuing her own dreams.

"I can't believe it. Rachel, is that really you?" a loud squeal snapped the brunette singer away from her deep thoughts, her head tilted upwards to finally acknowledge her interlocutor when strong arms wrapped her up in a bear hug. "Rachel! I found you!"

"B-Brittany? Gosh, what are you doing here?" The brunette starlet stood up to return the hug more properly, needing to give her old friend a well deserved embrace after sharing a room for almost 7 years. "It's an incredible coincidence that we ran into each other here, New York isn't that big after all."

"You still ramble a lot, but it's so adorable." The tall blonde slipped in the booth across from her and wearing her trademark smile that never failed to spread happiness in the room. The shorter girl took her seat and called a waitress over, placing an order of French fries and vanilla milkshake for the girl, who didn't stop her so probably still considered that as her favorite meal.

"What brings you here in New York, Britt-Britt?" Rachel paid for their orders and smiled at the waitress, before returning her focus on the blonde who was playing with a napkin. "Do you have a place to stay, 'cause I assure you that my apartment could provide a comfortable bed and a warm shower every morning until you find a better location."

"No no, Rachel. I am actually not here to stay, I have to head back and help Quinn out with the House. i…Well I came here for an audition and secretly hoped to run into you, since you are a big name around here." The taller girl shifted uncomfortably in her seat and picked a fry, eating it after dipping it in the abundant ketchup holder.

"Is Lucy alright? What do you mean you need to help with the House? Where is Mr. Schue?" Rachel's mind was all over the place, wondering why the other brunette turned blonde still managed to affect her being so much, after all these years. Shaking her head, she wiped her sweaty hands on the front of her skirt in a not so womanly way and waited for Brittany to swallow her food, so that she could give her some answers.

"She is doing fine and Mr. Schue passed away two months ago." The blonde watched the color being drained from the other girl's face and suddenly felt bad for having broken the news to her friend, in that way. "I am so sorry Rachie, I didn't know you didn't know."

"How…How did that happen? Was there a funeral and why no one thought of informing me of such event?" Rachel shook her head in discomfort, fighting the tears back as her mind wandered to the only man she had considered as father, before she was adopted by the Berry men. He had showed him the very notion of what a family could be and the thought of him being dead brought noting but pain and regret for not keeping in touch.

"You disappeared, Rach and we didn't want to bother you with it. We thought it didn't matter to you anymore." Brittany looked down at her almost empty glass, playing with the straw and making soft bubbles in her drink, before taking a long sip. "You could…you could still go visit him, maybe for closure."

"Maybe I will, Brittany…" Rachel's eyes trailed back to the world outside the coffee shop, people kept on walking by too lost in their own personal issues and priorities; the world kept on spinning around, whilst the brunette's one crashed down on her.

**(to be continued...let me know whatcha think! )**


	2. Chapter 2

So, the first chapter didn't receive as many reviews as I had wished for; hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter more since it has some Future!Faberry + Rucy. Let me know whether to stop writing it or if you are interested in it.

Flashbacks are in Italics.

CHAPTER 2

The choice of going back to Lima was not as easy as she had thought it'd be, but she couldn't ignore nor disrespect the man who had taken care of her for all those years; so she had packed her clothes and some scripts she was due to read, booking a red eye flight three days after Brittany left. Persuading Sam to stay behind turned out to be hard, since the boy wanted to go along and help her out throughout the sad situation but Rachel didn't want him there while she dealt with her past; she never talked to him about those years in the Glee House, despite his attempts to make her open up so they could go further in their relationship. It wasn't unknown that the musician wanted to ask her to marry him, but the walls around the brunette still kept him from popping the question and getting down on his knee.

With the promise of calling him twice a day and whenever she needed to hear his voice or support, Rachel had boarded the flight that would have taken her back home. The journey wasn't long and she had even managed to doze off, snuggled in the warm blanket provided by the flight attendant after nursing a glass of cheap red wine. She fell into a dreamless sleep, with no big revelations about her past nor the faces of the people she had tried not to keep in touch with them. Stepping out of the gate, she met her parents' tired but warm eyes and she couldn't help the happiness that surged through her body for seeing those men who had given her love and stability. Her petite frame was engulfed by strong arms and soft kisses against her forehead, words of love and welcome were whispered in her ears as she was shifted between Leroy and Hiram's arms for her long well deserved hug.

After a long night of sleep and an abundant homemade breakfast – courtesy of chef Leroy Berry – she had borrowed her dad's car to drive to the Lima Cemetery, where Will had been buried; she had even stopped by a flower shop to grab a small bouquet, that couldn't make up for her absence at his funeral. She should have been there. She shouldn't have cut any tie with them, not after what they had done for her but she couldn't help herself and being scared that, had she kept in touch, she wouldn't have been able to leave. The bond was too strong and it would have hurt too much to continue a relationship, that would have brought nothing but pain and heartaches. The graveyard wasn't too big, so she had easily found her way to her mentor's tombstone and gently placed the flowers beside his engraved name.

"Hello Mr. Schuester." Rachel's knees hit the green grass, staining her light blue jeans but not really minding it. "I came here as soon as I knew and I don't think there are any words to explain how sorry I feel for not being there. You took me in when I had no one, you treated me like I was special and you taught me all you knew music and life; I will never be able to thank you enough for contributing to make me the woman I am and I am so sorry I disappointed you. Probably, if you were here you would try and convince me otherwise, but I read it in your eyes the day of my graduation from Carmel despite your attempts to make me feel good about my choice. I should have come back as I had promised and I should have never abandoned you all, like anyone else. I-" her words were cut when someone else's footsteps approached her and she clearly smelled a familiar scent.

"What are you doing here?" The tall blonde stood few feet from the crouched brunette, holding a bouquet of white lilies and a stern gaze that was obviously directed to the other girl. "I asked you a question, Berry. What are you doing here?"

"Lucy Q…" The Broadway singer raised to her feet and made a step forward toward the other girl, who backed away from her and kept her stoic face. "I ran into Brittany and she told me about him passing away, why didn't anyone of you tell me that? I would have come or at least sent my condolences and-"

"Why? So that the press could write about the big and caring Rachel Berry, who wasted some of her precious time to join poor and troubled kids for the funeral of a man who gave her a new life?" Quinn stepped forward, towering the brunette with the advantage of her height and icy glare. "We don't need your pity, Rachel and we don't deserve to be a tool in your PR mechanism."

"Is it what you think I would have done? You know nothing about me and my life, Lucy and I would warmly invite you not to speak about things you are ignorant of. I cared about Mr. Schue and I just wanted the chance to give him a respectful goodbye." Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and looked up into those familiar hazel eyes, watching doubt and resentment fill them along with the same hurt of years ago.

"Isn't what you told him on your graduation day? Wasn't that your precious goodbye you are preaching about? Do you know how bad he felt when he came home after you two talked? How conflicted and dubious about his parental skills? How hard did you break his heart?" The blonde shook her head and moved past her, sitting the lilies on the other side of his name right under his picture. "You chose not to be a part of our lives anymore, Rachel, so don't expect a warm welcome back or being owed something, because you lost that right years ago." With that said, she stood back up and walked away from the brunette without sparing her another glance.

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When she got back to her parents' house, Rachel found another vehicle parked in the driveway and a familiar boy sitting on her doorstep, wearing a blue overall with black oil stains all over his clothes and part of his face too. The brunette stepped out of her Toyota Prius and locked it with the remote, before walking toward the crouched guy; when she got closer, Finn stood up slowly and smiled gently at his old time friend, having missed the petite singer who used to sing him to sleep.

"Hey Rachel…" Finn approached the girl carefully and leaned forward to gather her in his arms, before stopping himself and looking down at his dirty clothes. "I don't want to get you dirty too, your clothes look so nice." He frowned and scratched the back of his head, debating whether to hug the girl or not. Before he worried even further, though, the singer had stepped up and wrapped her petite arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest, giving him the green light to hug the 'hell' out of her. "You smell nice too." His nose nuzzled the top of her head and his larger hands moved up and down her back, patting and rubbing her shoulders slowly.

"It's good to see you, Finn Hudson. If you come inside, we can have some lunch together and catch up." Rachel pulled back to look up into his eyes, meeting his grin with one of her own. "I can still make an awesome BLT from scratch, it was your favorite right?" She lead him inside the silent house and down the small hallway that led to their spacious kitchen room. The Broadway starlet draped her jacket over the back of a chair and patted the adjacent one, so he could take a seat whilst she gathered the ingredients to cook them some homemade burgers.

"Will…will your parents get mad I am here?" The taller boy wiped his hands on the front of his t-shirt and grimaced at the stain he left behind, worrying about the impression he'd make on the girl's parents if they found them together. "Parents don't like me, they never did." He whispered to himself and looked down at his hands, joined on the kitchen table. "My mom always said I was too weird to be liked by someone, that's why she left me."

"That's not true Finn, you are a handsome and wonderful guy and your mother couldn't be more wrong when she said that." The petite girl flipped the burgers into the pan and walked to him, kissing the top of his head and rubbing his shoulders gently. "You are very loved Finn and she shouldn't have left you, if she loved you."

"Then why did you leave, Rach?" He turned around in the chair and looked up at her with expectant eyes, filled with puzzlement and begging for answers she couldn't provide. "You hurt me and you hurt Lucy, she loved you too." The car repairer frowned and shook his head lightly, wringing his hands together in his lap. "She cried a lot, after you left; she thought I wouldn't hear it but I did. She is my best friend and you were too, I was so confused because you hurt her but I still love you Rachel."

"I love you too Finn." Rachel wrapped her arms around the boy's head and nuzzled his temple slowly, feeling his arms wrap around her back and hold onto her closer, the way they used to whenever she tried to calm him down after one of his attacks.

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_(Age 8) _

_Six months had gone by since she had been assigned to Will Schuester's care and Rachel had slowly accustomed herself to sharing her young childhood with other kids, that weren't her natural siblings but were gradually becoming her first and only friends. She shared her room with a sweet orphan, Brittany, who had lost her parents in a car accident and had been living in the house for more than a year before the brunette's arrival. She was a tall and smiling blonde, always spreading her good mood around the house and mostly holding a weird positive effect on Santana, who was the hardest girl to get in touch with. The Latina had visibly had a troubled familiar background, that forced her into building walls around herself and barely let anyone else in besides Brittany and Lucy, whom she had a weird friendship with. They mostly fought or got on each other's nerves, knowing what buttons to push but if there was someone that could handle the Latina girl at her worst, well that was Lucy and her stubbornness. _

_Rachel herself had personally witnessed what the lighter brunette was capable of, both with Finn and Santana and that had probably learnt to deal with insecure and troubled kids since she was younger. The Finn episode was the first of many events that strengthened the admiration the new girl felt for the other girl, silently envying her capability not to lose her cool or just ignore a help's plea, whether it came from people whom she wasn't related to or not. It almost felt like she had a natural talent for that and, maybe, growing up she could decide to follow that inner strength to deepen it and pursue a future career in that field. But when Lucy was alone, by herself, Rachel saw her demons surface and fill her young mind, that quickly got tangled with intricate webs that trapped her and barely let her breathe. She could see Lucy struggling and frowning, when she thought no one was paying attention or worried about her; she just sat there, looking ahead into space, alone and away from the world around her. _

"_May I sit here with you?" Rachel walked around the oak tree in the backyard and whispered softly, not wanting to startle the other girl who was leaning back against it with a forgotten book in her lap. _

"_It's a free country, Rachel." Lucy smiled softly at the still intimidated brunette, who nodded and dropped on her butt beside her after making sure to use the back of her dress to cover most part of her backside and legs. "What brings you here? I thought Brittany had all of you joining her dance game." _

"_She won the game 4 times in a row and I didn't want to be a sore loser, nor go through any of Santana's wrath because I wanted new rules that would benefit everyone not just Brittany." The petite brunette chuckled to herself and leaned over, looking down at the worn out page of the book. "What are you reading, Lucy Q?"_

"_You are the second person in my whole life who ever calls me like that." The other brunette's eyes shifted from the petite singer's chocolate ones to stare off into space, losing any enthusiasm and emotion besides sadness and melancholia. "It's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it's my favorite fairytale ever." _

"_I liked that but I still think Barbra's biography is the most interesting book I've ever read so far, I want to be like her when I grow up. I want to go to New York and become a Broadway star, shining as bright as she did." Rachel looked up into her friend's face, who was smiling at her and nodded at each word she had let out. "You think it's me being naïve?"_

"_I think that no one should be entitled to tell you what to dream of, Rachel and I believe that one day you'll get there, because you have the 'it' factor that distinguishes you from everyone else." Lucy slipped her hand through the silky grass and took hold of the petite 8 years old girl's hand, squeezing her fingers to back up her own statement. "You are meant to great things, Rachel. You are our little star." Leaning in, Lucy placed a soft kiss on the girl's temple and leaned back against the bark of the tree; Rachel's head found its comfortable spot on the girl's shoulder as they read together Quinn's favorite book, lost in their little 'wonderland'._

**(To be continued?)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hopefully you are still interested in this fic, I'd love some of your opinions on what you'd like to see about the plot and the characters. Review and suggest your best ideas! Thank you! **

CHAPTER 3

It took Rachel a whole day to figure out what to do next. The long talk with Finn and running into her past friend at the graveyard were enough to make the choice easier for her; she'd be staying and taking some time off Broadway, unless until she had gotten and given some closure to the people she used to call family, before she had been adopted. That's why she had borrowed her father's SUV and drove straight to her old foster care house, hoping the address would have still been the same or she'd be needing to make a new research.

Luck seemed to be on her side that morning, cause as soon as she parked in the familiar driveway she spotted the big house with its old white picket fence that still fell to pieces and the white rooftop, where she used to climb onto along with Lucy and Finn. Rachel slipped out of the car and crossed the street that separated her from the main gate; she wasn't surprised to find it open, after all some things never changed and probably the next responsible of the household still carried on with Mr. Schuester's 'open door' policy. The sounds of kids' laughs filled her ears and as soon as she stepped on the porch, she saw three young children run past her and disappear around the corner of the house, probably to climb up the big oak tree or play with the monkey bars.

"Rachie!" Brittany's contagious smile was the first thing she saw, as soon as she stepped over the doormat before her feet were hovering the ground since the tall blonde was hugging the hell out of her. "We didn't expect you to come here or we'd have thrown you a welcome home party. Come in!" The girl finally released her hold on her, but she effectively dragged the starlet inside the house through the foyer, barely letting Rachel get a glimpse of the changes that had been made.

"The house almost looks the same, who took Mr. Schue's role?" The brunette looked briefly around and smiled at the sight of some of their young selves portraits hanging on the walls. The smile turned into a bittersweet one when she spotted some newspapers articles framed above the big fireplace, along with the pictures taken from magazines or interview she had recently done.

"Mr. Schue never stopped following or being proud of who you've become, Rachie. We all are proud of you." Brittany smiled warmly at her, before turning her attention to the crib under the window where she spotted the small baby still asleep; she tiptoed her way to it and leaned over the railing, watching the petite brunette sleeping peacefully whilst holding on the small teddy bear that had belonged to her mother.

"Is…is that your daughter?" Rachel whispered carefully, not knowing how to feel when the blonde shook her head negatively and kept looking down at the sleeping child. Doubts and thoughts ran through her mind and her heart couldn't help but sink, thinking that girl could be Lucy and someone else's child. The realization of having lost someone so important for her and that they had moved on hit her so hard, she almost collapsed on the ground. But then relief washed her, hearing the whisper slipping out of the tall blonde's mouth.

"She's Santana's." Brittany reached down into the crib and lifted the small blanket up the girl's body, tucking her gently in before settling on just watching her sleep as if to recreate the same bond she had shared with her mother. A small tear trickled down her cheek and landed on the back of her hand, sliding down till the tip of her forefinger and then softly landing on the small little girl's chest, covered by the blanket.

"Brittany, what happened? When?" The brunette walked behind her old friend and placed a comforting hand on her lower back, finally taking a glimpse of the asleep child that lied in the crib peaceful and without a care of the turmoil around her. Rachel could definitely see the resemblance with the fierce Latina and she was pretty sure the small child would be growing to be as beautiful as her mother was.

"Running into you twice in two days, must be good luck." The sound of a cold voice from the doorway startled both girls, but luckily didn't stir the little girl awake. Quinn's hands were full with grocery bags, but her eyes were so empty and cold that made the brunette starlet swallow an invisible lump down and blood run cold. "Britt, would you mind putting the groceries away? I'll take it from here." The way she addressed the blonde was completely different from the approach with the brunette. Coldness had been replaced with warmth and a small comforting smile was sent the blonde's way, as she passed by and took the bags from her arms; as soon as Brittany was out of sight, the shorter blonde walked down the hallways toward her own study room with the brunette silently following her, without any other word uttered.

"Lucy, I didn't meant to intrude but-" Rachel's excuses were cut short by the door being slammed shut and the 360 degree change in the blonde's demeanor, that put her cold and distant mask back on. The brunette felt like shrinking under the icy glare, not knowing how to approach the girl she had shared so much with and whose heart she had broken, when she had moved to New York City.

"It's Quinn to you and I'd rather if you didn't address to me nor come around here. You are not welcomed here, Rachel." The taller girl walked to her mahogany desk, leaning against its hard edge as her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes settled on the girl in front of her and just stared her down not wanting to let the memories of their past soften the anger and hurt that filled her heart. She couldn't let that happen. Not again.

"I don't think you can dictate who or not is welcomed here Quinn, since the new person in charge is still respecting Mr. Schue's 'everyone is welcomed' policy; the gate was open and kids were running around like we used to. So no, Quinn, I am not going anywhere unless the responsible here will kick me out of this house." The brunette stubbornly replied with her trademark stern glare and diva attitude, that had always work on Broadway to take her right where she was now.

"Well then, since you are currently talking to the new responsible of this foster house I am entitle to ask you to get out of the fucking door and never show your face again!" Quinn stood back up and got in the brunette's face, watching the realization struck her and leave her in awe. "Who do you think could run something like this, Rachel? Who do you think took care of Mr. Schue's sickness? Who do you think is still paying for our debts and the bank loans, juggling between works and stupid charity parties where I put my best kiss-ass face for pompous rich and ignorant people's pity?" The blonde's hands grabbed onto the front of the girl's shirt, breathing down on her face with all of her anger and disappointment for a life that was too unfair to be true.

"You are not alone, Quinn. There's Finn, Brittany, Santana and-" The starlet was released from the tight hold at the mention of the Latina girl, making the other girl's anger dissipate in sadness and complete distress. "She lets you take care of her child, I'm sure she trusts your capabilities and must have gone way past your differences."

"You don't know anything about what happened here, Rachel, so stop pretending you care about any of us and just go back to New York. You belong there, after all, and we all learned to deal with it." Quinn slumped against the desk, running a hand through her golden mane as the phone rang, breaking the uncomfortable tension inside the room. "I need to attend some important matters, now. I presume you still remember how to show yourself out, big exits are probably still your things." Shaking her head, she turned her back to the shorter girl completely missing the hurt look on the singer as she retrieved the receiver from its hold. As soon as she heard the familiar sound of her door slamming shut, Quinn released a deep breath that she didn't even know she was holding.

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Leaving the house she used to call home when she was younger, was enough to make her pack her small suitcase and jump on the first flight back to New York. She had probably spent too much in Lima and exception made for her dads, Rachel definitely felt she wasn't welcomed in that town anymore by the people that were her family, once. New York was her safe place, where she was Rachel Berry the new Barbra and biggest hit on Broadway, reading one script after another that wanted her as the main female character whether it was a new production or a refreshing TV Show. Her life had been filled by parties and late dinners with paparazzi following her and Sam everywhere, whilst her days were spent between interviews, shootings for the new Chevrolet advertising and time spent in the safety of her loft with her boyfriend.

Exactly one month later, Rachel was standing in one of the most luxurious lofts in New York attending one of those charity events that rich people loved to throw to wash their dirty hands and consciences, to make them sleep at night. Her crystal glass was almost empty, but she didn't want to go over the bar and get engaged in another pointless conversation about dogs or the latest fashion trends, nor bother Sam who was currently talking to a famous music producer. Grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, she made her way toward the bedroom zone and the terrace she knew existed, to finally take a breath from all those people around her. The brunette singer slipped inside the darkened bedroom, without noticing a small light coming from under the en-suite bathroom's door and just walked outside; the view was breathtaking, Manhattan lied at her feet and the lights had never looked so beautiful before. The light breeze, the fresh smell of the ocean and the multitude of colors made the atmosphere so magical that she could easily forget where she was and why; lost in her thoughts, Rachel didn't hear someone else approach them until someone else's voice startled her.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to intrude and-" was her imagination playing her tricks or was really Rachel standing on that balcony? Quinn stopped dead in her tracks and let her glass slip out of her grip, barely hearing the sound of glass shattering on the rough pavement. "Rachel?" It was a small whisper, lost in the wind as their eyes met and the memories of a happy past together filled their wounded minds.

"What are the chances of running into each other here? Yet, we seem to cross paths again." Rachel chuckled sadly, arms crossed over her waist as her own glass was sitting on the closer table still full. The brunette looked anywhere but at her ex-friend and lover, not wanting to face another angry wrath that she knew she deserved; the fierce hazel eyes were still focused on her, waiting for her next move like an eagle.

"I should be the one leaving, this time and please accept my apology for bothering your peaceful time." The blonde nodded shortly at her and went to turn around and go back inside, only to take the first cab back to her hotel and be swallowed by the NY's night. The lingering scent of her cologne invaded the singer's senses, snapping her out of her scared daze just in time to stop the girl from running away from her.

"Don't go." It came out as a second whisper, but it managed to be louder than the previous one and more meaningful than any other word they had shared since their reconnection, few days before. The Broadway starlet closed the distance between their frames, arms tentatively circled the older girl's waist and her face pressed between her strong shoulder blades, nuzzling into the familiar warmth that she had never found anywhere else in her life.

"You broke my heart, Rachel." Quinn's hands were balled into tight fists and eyelids were shut closed, not wanting to let the tears fall in front of the girl that had caused her so much pain. "You were the only person I had fully trusted, more than William or even Finn and you abandoned me like I didn't matter." Her words were laced with hurt and anger, reliving those awful moments when she had finally realized the brunette had left her for good and wasn't going to come back. "It still hurts." She whispered and looked slightly over her shoulder at the brunette clinging to her for dear life.

"I made a mistake, Lucy. A horrible and unforgivable mistake that I wish I could take back, but I can't; so many nights I cried myself to sleep, wishing I could just go back to Lima and back to you. I was a selfish coward who put their dreams before everything, even if that everything mattered the world to them." The fresh and warm tears were staining the back of Quinn's dress, whilst strong hands held tightly onto her hips not wanting to let her go. "Can't we talk about this? About us?"

Quinn could only nod and drop her arms heavily at her sides, her own tears were still threatening to fall but she couldn't let Rachel see that. Not yet, at least. She knew they had to talk about what happened between them, but she was scared to face the past and reopen old wounds that she thought healed. Obviously, they both had to work hard on that part.


End file.
